GB Ep 24: 10 Rules for Hiring an Ideal Client

Welcome to another episode of Growth Bites. Today we’re talking about the 10 rules for selecting and hiring an ideal client. Last episode we discussed when you should fire a client, but these 10 rules will help you avoid the bad apples.

When you’re first starting out in a service based business, you kind of have to take what you can get; but eventually you get to be a little more selective. [01:32]

Rule #1: Believe in their product or service. When you’re working with someone and helping them build something, you have to believe in what they’re doing, otherwise it will be harder to do the actual work. [02:01]

Rule #2: Make sure you can do a good job; better than what they’re currently doing. Be honest if you don’t think you can do better. [02:38]

Rule #3: Avoid companies that have had declining sales over a period of time: it shows there is something inherently wrong with the product, which is not something you can fix. For example, when marketing tries to help out with product, you jump out of scope, which will cost more time and money. [03:16]

Rule #4: The prospect also wants your company to make a profit. The partnership should be a win-win scenario; you shouldn’t get nickeled and dimed all over the place. You want to find prospects who see your cooperation as an equal partnership. [04:21]

Rule #5: Don’t work with assholes. If your prospect is an asshole, you’re not going to have a good relationship. Know-it-alls also fall into this category. This kind of relationship can also drain your and your employees’ morale. [05:20]

Rule #6: Look for clients who believe in what you have to offer. For example, Single Grain only works with companies who show evidence of believing in digital marketing. There can be exceptions to the rule. [05:52]

Rule #7: Don’t work with associations: i.e. multiple decision makers by committee. Too many approvals take too long to get moving. [06:58]

Rule #8: Don’t work with teams that don’t have in-house developers. Managing someone else who is outsourced is a pain the the butt, and the blame falls back on you. [07:17]

Rule #9: Don’t work with teams that take too long to make recommended changes on their website. This one can be hard to see in the beginning. [07:36]

Rule #10: Avoid brand-new products that haven’t reached national distribution yet unless they are included with another popular product. It’s much harder to drive a brand new product to recognition. It’s easier to work with something that’s more understandable and more established. [08:01]

We make exceptions sometimes, but these are the general guidelines we like to follow when selecting a client. [08:41]

Disclaimer: As with any digital marketing campaign, your individual results may vary.

Eric Siu (@ericosiu) is the CEO at Single Grain, a digital marketing agency that focuses on paid advertising and content marketing. He contributes regularly to Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes and more.